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No. 68, 



LIBRARY of 

Cape Cod 

HISTORY & GENEALOGY 

BARNSTABLE SEA CAPTAINS, 

BY F. \A/. SPRAGUE 




YARMOUTHPORT, MASS.: 

C. W. SWIFT, PuBLisnER and Prixthr, 

The ''Register" Press, 

191R. 






5 7^ 



BARNSTABLE SEA CAPTAINS 



In 1840-42 Captain Caleb Sprague taken say they are desperadoes, 

of Barnstable, Mass., was master and almost, you might say, bar- 

of the brig Gummaquid, built at barians. Correct accounts about 

Barnstable. (Cummaquid was the some of those who have fallen 

Indian name for Barnstable.) In into their hands are shocking." 

1843-47 he commanded the ship (Letter from Captain Sprague.) 

North Bend of Boston, owned by He also made a voyage to St. 

Mr. Matthew Cobb of Barnstable Petersburg, via Elsinore, in this 

and Boston. The writer has over ship. 

his desk a painting of this ship In 1850, Messrs Howes & Co. of 

"entering the Texel, 1845," by J. New York, built, in Somerset, 

Spin of Amsterdam. Mass., the barque Rosario. She 

In 1847 the North Bend carried was commanded by Captain Caleb 
troops to re-enforce General Scott Sprague. Aftei- a short voyage she 
in the Mexican war. She arrived was sold to Messrs. Loring Broth- 
at Vera Cruz June 2Q, 1847, and ers of Malaga, Spain, and put 
landed all of the officers and under the Spanish flag. From 
troops. They were encamped that time her officers (except Cap- 
three miles north of Vera Cruz, tain Sprague) and crew were all 
until a sufficient force was col- Spaniards. 

lected to march toward the City "She made the passage [in 1850] 

of Mexico. from Malaga to Valparaiso in 

"General Scott will have two eighty days. She made the run 
thousand ready to leave Vera through the Straits of Le Maire 
Cruz on the 10th of July (1847). and around Cape Horn to Val- 
I visited the camp often and there paraiso in ten days. Summer pas- 
is no doubt in the officers from sage and fair winds." 
the southern to the northern Captain Sprague wrote in his 
points of the United States, and private letters: "I have never 
the privates also, but what they fallen in with a ship since leav- 
are determined not to let villan- ing New York but what the barque 
ous Mexicans gain a victory as Rosario has passed her, and that 
long as there is a drop of Yan- easily." 

kee blood flowing in their veins. Howes & Co. of New Y^'ork built 

What few prisoners they have in 1851, at Somerset, Mass., the 



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ship R;i\tMi Tor Captain Sprague, 
jDUt he did not arrive home in 
time to take command of her. 

In 1853 Messrs. Loring Brothers 
of Malaga huilt for him at Ho- 
hoken, N. J., the clipper ship 
Gravina. She made her maiden 
Aoyage from New York the last of 
Novemher, 1853, lor Shanghai, 
China, with nine passengers, a 
part of Bishop Boone's mission- 
aries to China. A picture of the 
Gravina, painted in China, is 
owned hy one of Captain Sprague's 
sons. 

The barque Rosario and ship 
Gravina made voyages mostly from 
Malaga to South America. In 1851, 
at Guayaquil, the captain mentions 
having bought five hundred tons 
of cocoa for seventy thousand dol- 
lars. In those days some captains 
not only had power to sell the 
ship, but to buy and sell cargoes. 

In 1861-62 Captain Sprague com- 
manded the ship Neptune's Car 
from New York to San Francisco. 
The ship sprang aleak going 
around Cape Horn, and the crew 
mutinied and refused to pump. 
The ringleaders were put in irons, 
and the ship put into the nearest 
port; but finally reached her port 
of destination in safety. The sail- 
ors called her an unlucky ship. 
(It was this same ship that Cap- 
tain Patten's wife navigated 
around Cape Horn because of her 
husband's illness. This was in 
an earlier voyage.) 

I have before me an illustrated 
card, "Sutton & Co., Dispatch Line 
(up for freight). Ship Neptune's 



Car, Captain Sprague, 99 days to 
San Francisco." 

This run had been previously 
made under another captain. 

In 11883 Captain Sprague was 
master of the barque Chispa, built 
at St. Johns, and owned by Joseph 
Loring & Co., of India Wharf, 
Boston. Mr Loring was formerly 
of the firm of Loiing Brothers, 
Malaga, Spain. 

Captain Sumner Pierce of Barn- 
stable commanded the ship Light- 
foot, and later the ship Sunshine, 
built at Bath, Me. 

Captain Allen Knowles of Yar- 
mouthport, Mass., at one time was 
in con)mand of the ship Southern 
Cross. Many of the Cape Cod boys 
began their seafaring life with 
him. 

Captain Lemuel Simmons of Hy- 
annis, Mass., was master of the 
ship Grace Darling. 

In the winter of 1862-63 the 
writer was a sailor under Captain 
Franklin Percival of Barnstable, 
on the ship Charles Hill, owned by 
Charles Hill & Son, of Boston. In 
the Liverpool docks we saw the 
ship Grace Darling. When we 
went into Liverpool, we were near 
the ship Dreadnought. "Sixteen 
days from New York" was her 
captain's answer to our inquiry as 
to iier passage. Her colored crew 
were singing "Drive Her, Captain, 
Drive Her," "Only One More Day, 
My Honey," "Tuskar Light is 
Drawing Nigh," and other chan- 
ties. A month later the old 
Charles Hill was burned by the 
Alabama. 

Captain Edward Percival of 



Barnstable commanded the ship A few of the earlier captains 
Wide Awake of New York. He from our village (within about 
was made a captain at a very two miles of the Barnstable post- 
early age for his bravery in tak- office) were John A. Baxter, 
ing command of, and bringing into Thomas Percival, Ezekiel Gor- 
port, under difficult circumstances, ham, Nathaniel Percival, Thomas 
a ship in distress, with disabled Harris, Oliver Chase, Kimball R. 
officer- and crew. Sometimes it Smith, Allen Howes, Joseph Hal- 
is "like father, like son," for his lett, Thomas J. Smith, Otis Hinck- 
son, (now a Boston merchant) re- ley, David Anderson. The names 
ceived a medal for saving a re- of their ships are unknown to me. 
tired sea captain's life in Barnsta- Captain Daniel Bursley lived in 
ble harbor. West Barnstable, on the old stage 

Captain Elijah Crocker of Barn- road, near Great Marshes. Captain 
stable was master of the . ship William Hinckley was commander 
Akbar, owned, I think, by Whit- of the ship Oxnard, owned by 
ney & Co. of Boston, and made Samuel Hooper, Esq., of Boston, 
voyages to Calcutta. Captain Thomas Hinckley corn- 

Daniel Draper owned a line of manded the ship Benares. Cap- 
fruiters running from Boston to tain David Swinorton was master 
Mediterranean ports. Captain Wm. of the barque Orbit, and made a 
F. Gorham of Barnstable was mas- fast run in her to San Francisco, 
ter of one of the vessels (the Captain Daniel Percival com- 
barque Jehu, I think). manded the barque Sicilian, owned 

Captain Ira Bursley of Barnsta- by Baker and Morrill of Boston. 
ble, son of Sheriff David Bursley, Mr Ezra Baker, of that firm, was 
was executive officer or sailing uncle of Captain Percival. Cap- 
master of the steamer Quaker tain Percival was lost on the 
City,* June 8, 1867, which had as steamer Schiller, when on his way 
passengers Mark Twain and other to Liverpool to take command of 
"Innocents Abroad." one of Baker and Morrill's ships. 

About 1856-57 Captain Rodney Captain Charles W. Hedge com- 
Baxter of Hyannis commanded one manded ships Cromwell and Ash- 
of the unsuccessful line of steam- burton. He also made a voyage 
ers from Boston to Charleston, S. to Yokohama in the barque 
C. (The Massachusetts and South Kadosh. Captain Gorham Hallett 
Carolina.) was master of ships Midnight and 

These are only a few of the Charger and the brig Nellie 
captains from Barnstable. If the Hastings. Captain Herman Foster 
voyages were long, some of those commanded ships George E. Casta 
who began as cabin _ boys came and Rutland. 

home as under officers. They are Captain David Bursley w^as mas- 
all gone now, and so is the mer- ter of ships Osceola, Minnehaha 
chant marine. and Lotus. 



Captain Elisha Howes com- 
manded the steamer Morning- Star. 
Captain Solomon Smith was mas- 
ter of the harque Warren Hal- 
lett and of the Sicilian. Captain 
Frank Hallett was master of the 
briir Ringleader, barque Mabel and 
brig Ocean Belle. Captain John 
Turner Hall was master of the 
ship Abelino and Captain Joseph 
Bursley of the ship Victory. 
Captain James Bursley command- 
ed barques Wheatland and Bound- 
ing Billow. 

Captain Ansel Lothrop was mas- 
ter of ships Pilgrim, Agenor, Con- 
queror and Edward O'Brion. He 
was lieutenant (acting) in the 
United States navy during the 
Spanish war, and is now in the 
United States transport service, 
having been master of several 
large steamers in that servicee. 

Captain Charles Crocker was 
master of the barques Alice and 
Sarah Hobart. 

Captain Frank Hinckley com- 
manded ships Star of Peace and 
Leading Wind, and Captain Ben- 
jamin Hinckley the ship Samuel 
C. Grant. Captain Benjamin Loth- 
rop was master of the brigs A. J. 
Ross, Alice Tarleton, Jane Adelaide, 
and William Mason. His father, 
Benjamin Lothrop, Sr., was one of 
the old shipmasters. Captain Ed- 
ward Titcomb was master of 
barques Jennie Cushman, Wheat- 
land and D. A. Brayton. I am in- 
debted to him for some of these 
notes. 

Captain Leander Hallett com- 
manded the barque Prescott and 
went to Buenos Ayres. Captain 



William F. Gorham was master of 
the Joseph Balch. A picture of 
her is in one of the old Barnsta- 
ble houses. Captain Rufus Gor- 
ham was master of the barque 
Prompt. 

Captain Albert H. Dunbar was 
master of the ship Grecian, of 
Boston, "principal owner, Captain 
J. Henry Sears." She was built 
by Titiomb & Thompson at Ken- 
nebunkport. Me., in 1876. (Ton- 
nage 1677.) 

Captain John Easterbrook went 
to Sidney, Australia, and owned 
and commanded a vessel on that 
coast. He chartered her for Bos- 
Ion, bi'inging with him all of his 
family, but his ship was never 
heard from after leaving Australia. 

Captani Danforth Parker was 
mastei of the steamer Chatham, of 
the outside line. (Boston and New 
York.) 

Captain William Chipman com- 
manded barques Azof, Isaac Jeanes, 
and Idaho. Mrs Chipman has a 
painting of the barque Idaho. 

Captain Francis Bursley was 
master of ships Talisman, Alert^ 
Skylark, and Pennant. 

One of the Barnstable (Oster- 
ville) owners in shipping was 
George Lovell, Esq. Some of his 
vessels occasionally landed run- 
away slaves on the south shore of 
Cape Cod. They were then passed 
along by the "underground rail- 
road" to Barnstable village, and 
were harbored by Mr and Mrs Al- 
vin Howes and Mr and Mrs Ezekiel 
Thatcher, well-known Abolitionists. 
The slaves were treated as equals^ 
but sometimes they made their 



way to "Mary Dunn's Road," where ensign in the United States navy 
they found rum and congenial till Lee surrendered to General 
companions. These Abolitionists Grant. He is now judge of pro- 
were kindly people, with strong bate for Barnstable county. . 
convictions; never attending All of the captains mentioned 
church, because the sermons never were known to me, many having 
condemned slavery. been my schoolmates; and all but 
Some of these shipping notes two or three of them lived in 
were supplied by Judge Freeman Barnstable village. They form, 
H. Lothrop. He went as sailor therefore, only a small part of the 
with Captain Herman Foster in the Gape Cod captains, some idea of 
ship Rutland. On his return he whose numbers may be gained 
served nine months in the army from the fact that so many can 
during the Civil war, and later as be mentioned from a single village, 
acting master's mate and acting F. W. Sprague. 



LIBRARY OF CAPE COD HISTORY AND GENEALOGY. 



No. 105. Barnstable Town Records, 60 pp., $1.50 

No. 104. Sandwich and Bourne, Colony and Town Records, 

36 pp., 1.00 

No. 103. Crowell Families of Yarmouth, 16 pp., 2.00 

Genealogies by James W. Hawes: 
No. 102. William Nickerson, 17 pp., .50 

No. 101. Eldred, Eldredge, 29 pp., 1.00 

No. 100. Nicholas Busby, 8 pp., .25 

No. 99. Atkins, .75 

No. 98. Ryder, .75 

No. 97. John Munroe and Old Barnstable, by Elizabeth 

Munroe, 135 pp., 2.00 

No. 91. Children of William Nickerson, 16 pp., .50 

No. 90. Covel, 9 pp., .50 

No. 89. Hedges, .25 

No. 96. Ancient Houses, T. P. Howes, 6 pp., .50 

No. 95. Dillingham Family, 4 pp., .25 

No. 94. "Hoppy" Mayo, Hero of Old Eastham, Michael 

Fitzgerald, 2 pp., .25 

No. 93. Stone Family, Josiah Paine, 4 pp., .25 

Brewster Shipmasters, Sears, 2d edition, cloth, 2.00 

''Cape Cod," by Charles F. Swift, 5.00 

No. 92. The English Ancestry of Edmond Haweg of Yar- 
mouth, Mass., 1.00 
Yarmouth Families of — 
No. 88. White, .50 
No. 87. Gorham, .75 

1.00 
.50 
1.00 
.50 
.50 
.75 
.50 
.50 
1.50 



No. 


86. 


Bray, 


No. 


85. 


Bassett, 


No. 


84. 


Hallet, 


No. 


83. 


Crosby, 


No. 


82. 


Sturgis, 


No. 


81. 


Matthews 


No. 


80. 


Berry, 


No. 


79. 


Baxter, 


No. 


75. 


Taylor, 



No. 74. Baker — Descendants of Silas, .50 

No. 73. Baker — Descendants of Francis, 1.50 
No. 78. 200th Anniversary Address, Town of Chatham, 

Hawes, .50 

No. 77. The Hinckleys of Truro, Shebnah Rich, .50 

No. 76. The Lombards of Truro, Shebnah Rich, .50 

No. 72. Crowell— Descendants of John, 1.00 

No. 71. Crowell— Descendants of Yelverton, 1.00 

No. 70. Paine or Payne— Truro, Shebnah Rich. .75 

No. 69. Cape Cod Sea Reminiscences, G. V. C, .50 

All publications sent postpaid on receipt of price. 

C. W. SWIFT, Publisher, 

Yarmouthport, Mass. 



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